Bird Sanctuary Reopens After Griffith Park Fire

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Councilmember Tom LaBonge was on hand Wednesday for the official reopening of the Griffith Park Bird Sanctuary after the devastating Griffith Park fire of 2007.

Located on Vermont Canyon Road in a wooded canyon with a small stream, the sanctuary features a variety of bird in their natural habitat.

The park has been closed after being mostly destroyed in an 800-acre blaze nearly five years ago, although the Bird Sanctuary Trail - which leads hikers uphill past the Bird Sanctuary itself - was reopened in 2009.

The Department of Recreation and Parks has completed a series of repairs to the sanctuary, including catch basin restoration, woodcrete fence repair, trail grading, site clean-up, and the removal of multiple hazardous and downed trees.

LaBonge said the ceremony marked a step forward for wildlife enthusiasts throughout the Southland.

"The reopening of the Bird Sanctuary ends another chapter of recovery for Griffith Park," Councilmember Tom LaBonge said. "The fire brought Angelenos closer together, and now we will be able to gather in the Bird Sanctuary yet again."